Rainy Day
by Nauki Yasha
Summary: Nauki has no one to play with and Inuyasha is asleep. How will the toddler occupy her time?


She blinked her small purple eyes, watching him as he slept soundly. Inuyasha was completely worn out. The business of him becoming a parent in the past few months had been hard on him. Nauki had often given him a run for his money. He was also having to learn how to take care of her and discipline her. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku often helped him with the chore of watching Nauki. Despite his denial, Inuyasha was grateful for it.  
Nauki sniffed the air. The scent of fresh morning rain drifted to her nose. It was true that the child didn't favor thunderstorms, but she liked taking baths and jumping in mud puddles. Maybe, just maybe, there were some nice fresh mud puddles outside. She hoped there were.  
"Papa," she called him softly. "Papa." Nauki leaned foreward. She nudged his chin with her nose. No use. He was sleeping hard. She pawed at him as she started to whimper.  
"T...ired...Lit-tle...," Inuyasha said faintly. He stretched his legs then went back into a fetal position.  
"Ah?" Nauki tilted her head. "I baby," she said, pawing again cutely. "Papa, baby." She cooed as she laid down next to him, watching him sleep. "No mah-ma's for papa."  
Inuyasha sniffed slightly just to make sure she was still there. He went back to sleep. It never occurred to him if Nauki would remain there or not. She stayed for fifteen minutes. Boredom was too much for the young girl.  
Nauki ran out of the hut, her arms outstretched. She wanted to explore; find; go; see; do-everything! She skidded down the small mound of foundation that the hut sat upon. "No 'Tippo." Nauki whimpered again. She looked around for something to explore.  
There it was.  
Close to the hut was a nice wet, muddy patch of ground. Nauki practically flew to the area. She squealed with delight as her eyes befell upon the mud puddle. "Pway! Pway!" The boredom had come to an end!  
Just before she jumped into the puddle, she remembered what Inuyasha had said the last time she had gotten dirty. Mudpuddles are filthy. I don't want you jumpin in them, Little. Your kimono gets dirty and it's the only one you have. I'm not going to wash it all of the time. Nauki whimpered. She didn't want to disobey Inuyasha. *I want to play. Papa's asleep.*  
Nauki sat down on the ground. She kicked her legs out of anger. Inuyasha wouldn't allow her to get in the mud puddle with her kimono on. Shippo wasn't here! Nor Kagome! It wasn't afir! She had to play; to have fun! She had to..She had to...Nauki stopped.  
Her trousers had been kicked off.  
That was it!  
She couldn't play in the mud with her kimono on, but....she could take her clothes off. If her clothes weren't on, Inuyasha wouldn't get mad right? She was still obeying him, sort of.  
Nauki took the rest of her clothes off then laid them far away from the mud pile. She made sure they were nice and neat. The small girl smiled slyly with the pacifer in her mouth. She turned around, then ran at the mud puddle with speed.  
Nauki squealed as she slid in on her stomach. Her eyes glittered with happiness as she rolled in the mud. Nauki stood up, then jumped up and down, squishing the mud in between her toes. She sat down, perceeding to make mud pies.  
From inside the hut, Inuyasha's ears began to twitch. He could hear Nauki squealing off in the distance. He sat up straight, his mind alert. She was outside-alone. Inuyasha got up and ran in the direction of her voice.  
He stopped.  
Inuyasha blinked his eyes, his arms hanging out to his sides. There she was. In the mud. Nude. "Little!"  
Nauki stopped giggling as she lay on her back, holding her feet with her hands. She tilted her head, then looked up. "Ah?" She saw the shocked look on her papa's face. Nauki just held her pose, the smile on her face fading.  
Inuyasha crossed his arms. He glared at the toddler. "I told you...NOT to play in the mud," he said very sternly.  
Nauki pointed to her clothes that she had laid away from the mud puddle. Inuyasha bent down, scooped her up out of the mud, then walked back to the hut angrily with his daughter's clothes. Nauki didn't make a sound. She was afraid Inuyasha was going to pop her.  
  
Nauki sat in the corner crying silently as she stared at the floor. Inuyasha threw down the wooden washtub he had gotten from Kagome. He poured water into it that he kept in a jug. Nauki didn't care that she was dirty head to toe. It was the fact that Inuyasha was angry with her. It made her feel really bad. She had tried to obey him.  
He walked over to her, then kneeled. "Nauki." She turned her head away. Inuyasha sighed. "Oh, Little........you don't understand...." He touched her face then rubbed his thumb against her cheek. Nauki sniffled.  
Inuyasha gently picked her up, then put her into the water. He took a cloth and began to scrub her. "I'm not mad anymore, Little. It's the fact that you disobeyed me."  
Nauki pointed to her clothes slightly.  
"I know you took them off. That's why I'm not THAT mad." He scrubbed her face. Inuyasha's body ached, even for a demon, as he attempted to keep the curious child out of harm's way. He yawned.  
He knew Nauki was depressed and she was hurting inside. He could feel it. Her heart felt like a damp cave. Inuyasha lifted her out of the water into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her as Nauki laid her head on his arm, staring at the floor.  
"I wish you could understand, Nauki," he said quietly. Inuyasha dried her off. "I need you to listen to me. I promised Kagome I'd watch you and take care of you."  
"I ba...by..," Nauki said full of sadness.  
Inuyasha turned her around to face him. He wiped her tears away. "That's why youneed to listen." He lifted her chin so she would look at him. "Because you're a baby."  
Nauki nodded gently. She wiped her eyes. Maybe Inuyasha had a reason to be strict with her. " 'Ou 'ate me papa?"  
Inuyasha blinked his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her protectively. "No, I don't hate you, Little. Where did you hear such a thing?" He watched her hide her face on his arm.  
She shook her head. Nauki was pretty smart for a toddler. She overheard people talking all of the time, but didn't understand their words. The child stayed quiet as not to cause problems for any of them. She had overheard Kaede talking to Sango about Inuyasha taking care of her. She figured she was troubling him all of the time. *I'm trouble.*  
Inuyasha felt the signal of emotions from his daughter. He rubbed her back to comfort her. "The day you become trouble is when my heart stops beating, " he said softly. He had become so fond of Nauki since he had found her. They were inseperable.  
Nauki looked up at him. Inuyasha grabbed her face, then blew a raspberry on her cheek. Nauki cooed happily. "My papa."  
Inuyasha smiled at her gently. "My baby," he said, rubbing his cheek agianst hers. He had never taken care of anyone before. Before, it was just him. Now he had Nauki, a little girl with no past. "Hey, you want to go see what Kagome and Sango are up to?"  
Nauki nodded. "Ah-hah."  
Inuyasha picked her up. "First, let's go put your clothes back on." Nauki tugged on the tresses by his face. 


End file.
